The present invention relates to a lapping system for fabricating sliders of a disc drive. In particular, the present invention relates to an interfaced carrier assembly to provide feedback control for lapping operation.
Sliders are fabricated on a wafer and rows of sliders are separated from the wafer to form a slider bar. The slider bar includes a plurality of sliders. During the slider fabrication process, the slider is lapped to desired tolerance dimensions using an abrasive lapping surface. The lapping process is controlled using feedback from electronic lapping guides on the slider. In prior lapping systems, feedback from the electronic lapping guides was transmitted via soldered connections on terminals of the electronic lapping guides. Form factor dimensions are decreasing and tolerance control is increasing reducing available spacing for feedback connections to electronic lapping guides. Soldered connections leave a residue and spacing requirements limit the number of feedback connections possible for control of the lapping process. The present invention addresses these and other problems and offers solutions and advantages over the prior art.
The present invention relates to an interfaced carrier assembly having printed contacts to provide electrical interface or feedback control for lapping operations. The printed contacts are formed on an interface circuit and interface with terminal pads on a slider bar via connection between a carrier plate supporting the slider bar and the interface circuit having the contacts formed thereon. Alignment of the printed contacts on the interface circuit and the terminal pads on the slider bar are measured by digital cameras or imaging device for assembly of the interfaced carrier assembly.